MORE than a third of councils in England eligible to hold local elections in May have asked the government to delay the vote, affecting more than 2.5 million voters.
A total of 23 councils have formally requested a postponement as the government carries out a restructuring of local government, BBC reported.
Ministers told 63 councils last month they would approve delays if there were “genuine concerns” about holding elections alongside the reorganisation. Of those councils, 33 have said they will proceed with elections, while seven have yet to confirm their position, the BBC reported.
Most councils seeking a delay are Labour-led, though two are Conservative-led and one is Liberal Democrat-controlled. Some are run by coalitions or independents. Elections would be postponed for one year, with the expectation they would take place in 2027. Ministers are expected to approve the requests in the coming days.
The government plans to replace the two-tier system of district and county councils in parts of England with unitary authorities responsible for all local services. Some councils due to hold elections this year are expected to be merged into new authorities in 2027 or 2028, meaning councillors elected in May could serve only a one-year term.
Writing in The Times, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said: “Running a series of elections for short-lived zombie councils will be costly, time consuming and will take scarce resources away from front-line services like fixing pot holes and social care.”
Opposition parties criticised the move. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats opposed allowing delays, while Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told the BBC councils seeking postponements were “terrified” his party would win. A Conservative shadow minister said Labour was “running scared of voters” and added: “We are clear that these elections should go ahead.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Both Labour and the Conservatives are running scared of the electorate, allowing councillors to serve terms of up to seven years without a democratic mandate.”
Protests were reported at some councils, including a meeting in Redditch where police were called. Some councils have yet to announce a decision, the BBC reported.
